Buying cycles

Q: Got this very interesting question from someone at E&Y Australia: “I have understood the buying process to be a number of steps in a journey from a buyer being unaware of a problem to engaging and buying again. My question relates to whether you think the steps in the journey have evolved over the last 20 years and what specifically has caused this.”

A: I don’t think the buying process has changed much. Whether it is AIDA AIDAC, AIDAS, CAB, Dagmar, etc. They basically are all saying the same thing.

We do perhaps need to interpret the model in a wider context. All of these concepts find their origin in the B2C world. Certainly within the FMGC space where the link with Maslow’s pyramid is real.

B2B is different. Maslow is far away Opportunity/competition/internet/markets are replacing Maslow’s impact. If something has happened in B2B over the last 20 years then it is the realization that the customer is in control. Understanding the buying process is key. But interpreting the buying process as a sales cycle is wrong. What do I mean?

1. At the end of each cycle there is “Action”. But Action doesn’t necessarily mean a buy. It could also be a “make” decision or even an opportunity cost decision (eg. NO action because costs outweigh benefits)
2. Prof. buyers can get their information from everywhere nowadays. Things go wrong if you neuter marketing to “1 to Many” sales process. Marketing is about identifying future customers and creating an engagement. This is a 2 way dialog that tries to figure out what they need. Initially “need” in terms of information (buying decisions) and at a later stage in terms of the eventual solution you’re trying to market. Understanding that creates stickyness and keeps the right(!) future customer with you until he’s ready to make a purchase

IMHO these are the “changes”. Only when you approach the issue from the vendor’s viewpoint, you’re perhaps allowed to say that the buying process has changed. But in essence nothing has changed. What is different is that due to awareness re: customer centricity, infinite information and increased competition, it is harder to match your sales cycle to the buying process of the future customer.

Koen